In a recent incident, the Philippine military accused China of illegally confiscating supplies that were dropped from the air to a Philippine outpost on Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. This occurred on May 19 at the Spratly Islands, where Filipino forces are stationed to assert Manila’s territorial claims in the region. The Philippines has been conducting supply missions to the island for years, but this is not the first time that confrontations have occurred between Chinese and Filipino ships near disputed reefs in the South China Sea.
The Philippine military claimed that China had approached within 10 meters of their Navy ship, Sierra Madre, and confiscated supplies intended for Filipino forces. General Romeo Brawner, Commander of the Philippine Army, condemned China’s actions as illegal and unjustified interference. Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, responded by claiming that it was a legal action and urged the Philippines to stop causing trouble in the region.
Second Thomas Shoal Island is located about 200 kilometers from Palawan Island and more than a thousand kilometers from any major Chinese land area. To avoid potential resistance or harassment during their supply mission, the Philippines decided to drop supplies from the air instead of by sea. However, this decision did not prevent China from interfering with their operations once again.
Despite international rulings rejecting its claims in various parts of the South China Sea, Beijing continues to militarize several artificial islands in the region and deploy its coast guard and other boats to patrol its waters. This has led to ongoing disputes with other countries over territory and resources in one of Asia’s most strategically important waterways.